Forbidden Enchantment series: The virus
by CowgirlTori88
Summary: Dystopian futuristic story. My original idea, plot, characters, etc. First book and chapter to the series.
1. Chapter 1

Forbidden Enchantment series: The Virus

The U.S. Government decided the world needs change. The universe's water supply slowly began to evaporate and disappear. Most of the trees were being cut down and used for the construction of homes. The ecosystem was out of balance. The levels of oxygen were low and people were beginning to die from it. They must do something...But what? The government decided to build life-supporting biospheres around the world and divide the people amongst these biospheres. While they live in the "domes of glass" the ecosystem will have time to rebuild itself, and make the world a livable place again. They had lived in peace when feuds began within the biospheres and they became uncontrollable. The government made the decision to categorize the people based on who got along with whom. This seemed to make things better so they continued it, transferring 16 year-old boys and girls, if necessary, to different biospheres matching with their personalities and people they got along with. Most people stayed in the same biospheres. Once transferred the person was not to mingle with other segments(or biospheres). The people of the biospheres were also NEVER permitted outside into the world.

Main Characters(from this chapter):

Ember: A 16 year-old girl who has just been transferred to a new segment and is learning to adjust to her new life.

I sat on the cold leather seat and stared blankly at my reflection in the metal flat-canvas. The constant clicking sound of the iron-horse being passed from one iron belt to the next rang in my ears. I was locked under the spell of the noise, the vibration of it in my brain, like a cat's purr. The consistency and length kept my mind in a constant trance. A water-droplet broke free from my eyelid and flowed down my cheek to the edge of my face, and flew down to deform my reflection. This drew me out of the trance and I wiped the trail away the tear left on my face. I guided a loose strand of hair comfortably behind my ear. I quickly glanced about the rectangular cube and an elderly man sitting across from me caught my eye. He and a strange looking bag hogged the entire bench. I looked around at the crowded car then back to the man and his large bag. His features were sharp and harsh. His skin rippled gently away from his bones, creating several creases on his forehead, temples, cheeks, and neck. His eyes squinted; focusing hard on the news-giver he held open with his fingertips. His crooked lids made him look menacing. He wore a neat black suit and white tie, with a matching white rose. I jerked back to my reflection afraid for his pupils to meet my overlooking gaze. My reflection had always intrigued me; something about my exact movements and features mirrored by another version of myself had always caught my attention. The cramped train smelled strongly of body-odor and coal dust. This didn't surprise me, for the boxcar had just been filled at a mining station, were the people in our segment, mountain gibers, came aboard. The mountain giber's only job was to cut at the mountain side and find the precious coal and char. They worked tirelessly from dawn to dusk, and never stopped. Most of them perished from their lungs coated in coal dust. I looked at their tired faces and dirty hair. My father was a mountain giber. He would come home with that same weak, "burnt" look. A memory flooded into my mind.

"Ember do you know what your name means" my father's soft voice asked one night several years ago as we rocked in the large chair by the fire.

"No" I replied in a whisper.

"A small piece of burning or glowing coal or wood in a dying fire" He said as-a-matter-of-factly.

The high screech of metal against metal as the iron-horse began to slow and the voice over the intercom saying

"Attention all passengers we have arrived at station 66" interrupted my memory.

"My stop" I thought. The train came to a halt. Again I moved a strand of hair behind my ear and bent down to retrieve my brown, leather bag with my right hand and used my left hand to guide the strap to my shoulder and across my chest. The only other passengers getting off at this station were the elderly man and a girl he had begun conversing with, who glanced in my direction more than once, pointing and talking in low tones. I tried to keep my eyes down and avoid making eye contact. A loud hiss sounded, and the train doors opened. I looked down at the endless black filling the gap between the iron horse and the metal deck. Glancing over my shoulder, I jogged out of the iron horse stable, and left my tear-smudged reflection on the floor.

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter to my original series. The following chapters will be posted as they come. Please don't forget to leave a review and comment, I love the feedback! Thanks for reading! (I expect the next chapter sometime next week)


	2. Chapter 2

Forbidden Enchantment series: The Virus

Main Characters(from this chapter):

Ember: A 16 year-old girl who has just been transferred to a new segment and is learning to adjust to her new life. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin.

Willow: Ember's best friend from childhood who gets transferred to the same segment. She is a 16 year old red head, with green eyes and, freckled face.

Chapter 2- The time to "grow up"

I guarded my eyes from the sun with my hand, and walked out several yards to a walking-guide displaying a red hand. I looked up at the glass sky and stared as the clouds from the outside passed over and went on their way. I studied the intricate pattern of the glass crystals as the sun, through a break in the clouds, reflected off of them. The red hand disappeared and was replaced with an emerald green eye. I crossed the paved boardwalk and skipped a few steps to the opposite side. The streets were quiet except for the people coming from the "stable". Both the old man and the girl had stopped following me and went their own way.

"Em wait up" a familiar voice shouted from behind me.

"You walk fast. How did it go?" she said breathlessly.

"Willow I'd rather not talk about it" I replied grabbing the end of my braid and weaving it through my fingers. Willow nodded understandingly and smiled.

"What", I asked biting my lip. I had a feeling she had a secret, something she wasn't going to tell me then.

"Oh nothing" she said looking around. Yep I was right it was something she was going to have to tell me later. We had to be cautious for there could always be someone listening or watching nearby. Willow winked making my suspicion truth. Willow and I grew up together with our families and were transferred to this new community-sphere only a week ago and we're still separating friends from enemies. We were transmitted here because the leaders thought Willow and I became of age to be matched with people we would get along with. We were surprised and also glad that we were matched to the same community. Today, our families had come to see us one last time before it had been time for us to move on and officially "grow up" as the people called it. I felt a mix of bitter sadness and harsh fear and I left my childhood behind, not knowing what the future had before me. We parted never to see each other again. I remembered my mother's story of her matching to her community sphere, and the advice she had given me to face my future and be successful.

"You must always remember to be your own person and find what you enjoy doing and do it" she had said the night I was matched.

"What was it like when you were transferred" I asked trying not to cry.

"I was terrified, I was leaving the only people, place, and things I knew" she said with a far-off look in her eye. "I remember when I first got there, and the first person to greet me was your father, and now when I look back I realize if I still remained in the same biosphere I had when I was a child I would never have met your father, and then you wouldn't be here right now" she had said teary-eyed. She kissed my forehead and held me close.

We walked the rest of the way without conversation, avoiding an occasional puddle from the rainfall the day before. We would exchange a glance from time-to-time, but nothing more. Willow seemed occupied watching her feet move beneath her. I followed the path her feet would take; her new black boots were given to her at the matching. They were her only pair of shoes, beside her worn patched up boots that she had at her old community. Her long cardigan had a tear, revealing part of her shoulder. I knew why she wore it. It was one of the few things she was allowed to keep from her old community. Her pants and tank were also new. I hadn't noticed before, but she had a deep laceration across her cheek that was red with fresh blood. I knew it involved the secret so I didn't say anything. We walked on silently. When we reached the residential-district we separated, into our own cubicle. I watched as the sky turned pure liquid outside the glass with shades of red, orange, and yellow all blended together in a magnificent display. Eventually the colors faded and as the sky turned grey I turned over in my bed and sealed my eyes shut. My world faded and blurred and I drifted off into a fitful sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three- The secret.

I woke the next day to the sound of a woman's voice over the announcement-intercom stating the time, nine o'clock. I groaned aloud, I had slept in. The first part of the "growing up" course is attending an assembly-training where all the transfers come together, and explore the possible careers to see which they would most enjoy. There are leaders, trained for the position, that help guide their patient's decisions. This assembly began at ten, and it was mandatory that I was there early to complete a few procedures before the meeting. I cast my coverings aside and the bitter cold surrounded my bare feet. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and glided over to my closet. It was a big closet, big enough to fit two people and still have elbow room. The shelving lined both sides and at the back was a hanging rack. I slipped off my nightgown and reached for the outfit I had laid out the night before. Black jeans, black and grey shirt, grey jacket, and black boots. We couldn't stand out at the assembly; everyone was required to wear grey and black. After I dressed I quickly braided my hair into my usual French braid. I had hoped I would've had time to curl it and apply some makeup to my blotchy face. My small alarm clock read nine fifteen; I had to leave now to make it in time. I walked out and saw Willow a few houses down also coming out. She looked beautiful with her soft red hair gently wrapped around a black headband, her freckled face lightly brushed with blush and foundation, and her lips touched with a soft bronze lip color. She wore a grey shirt, grey jacket, black jeans, and grey boots. She looked in my direction and I suddenly felt embarrassed at my own appearance. Her green eyes sparkled as she saw me. Her feet tucked in the grey boots skipped over to meet me. My face turned crimson and I hide it in the collar of my jacket.

"Em you look gorgeous" she said smiling. I looked at her sternly.

"Don't lie to me."

"I'm not, I promise" she said wrinkling her brow.

"Well you look absolutely ravishing Will and that's more that could be said about me" I said brushing her cheek with the back of my hand. She looked at her feet and flushed. "Now we must hurry or we'll be late" I stated grabbing her jacket and pulling her with me.

We walked swiftly to a large building on the far side of the housing-community and walked through a heavy set of glass doors that were probably about ten feet in height. Willow grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze. We made eye-contact and smiled nervously. A lady in a small blue coat sat at a wide dark-stained work-table, her fingers busily pressing the keyboard in front of her, staring at a computer screen, floating in the air. As we approached her desk she looked up. I smiled warmly, but it was returned with a cold stare.

"Ember Fremont and Willow Adara" Willow said smiling. There was a moment of silence. Then the lady looked down at her keyboard and began typing, saying nothing. I examined her blue coat closer and spotted a name tag. In small black letters was her name "ZOE DURAND". Her figure was straight and strict, far from comforting. Her hair was a single-toned brown twisted and clipped up. Her eyes were the same boring brown. They moved from side-to-side as she read the contents on the screen. Finally she tapped the small levitated mouse to her right and the sound of a paper-inker sounded. She grabbed the papers from the machine, straightened them, fused them, and handed a small stack to each of us. I looked at first page. It had my name on it, along with information about me. My parents, my old biosphere, medical history, and school grades were all included in the file.

"Down the hall and through the large doors, there your decision assistants will be waiting to take you to your first career section." She said without making eye contact. I felt like she was in her old world, and cared not about the people around her. It frustrated me. I clenched my fist and thanked her. Willow sensed my frustration and tried to remove it with a concerned smile. We followed her instructions, and found our assistants. They greeted us with warm smiles and I was glad they weren't stiff and strict like the lady at the desk.

"Hello" the girl on the left said bobbing her head a little and grinning wide. "I'm Kendra, a volunteer that has been trained to assist you in making your career choice." She was talking to Willow. I was half relieved. Kendra was a bit too cheery for me. She continued on with her obviously-thought-out speech to Willow. I looked around the room we were in. The doors were about five feet behind us. Across the small square room there was an identical set. Both had stained glass triangles close to the top of the frame, the only thing that set them apart from the doors behind us. It was the only color and dimension in the room besides the two water fountains on either side.

I stared at the intricate pattern of the mosaic stained glass. The vibrant reds, blues, greens, and yellows caught my attention. The colors shone on the floor by Kendra's feet. I wondered what lied beyond the unusual panes. Willow elbowed and glared at me. I hadn't been paying attention. I gave her the look to tell her so, a questionable look. She raised her eyebrows and looked past my face. I studied the direction her eyes took and realized the man to the right of Kendra was signaling me to follow him. I reacted, skipping into his shadow and trailing him towards the glass doors. I was more motivated now, eager to see what lay beyond the vibrant doors that had captured my attention.


End file.
